NTSB’s Paul Schuda Dies in Aircraft Accident

Paul Schuda, director of the NTSB Training Center in Ashburn, Virginia, died last Saturday when the Cessna 210 he was riding in crashed in southeastern Indiana approximately 40 miles northwest of Cincinnati. The aircraft impacted the ground in a heavily wooded area at approximately 9 p.m. local time. The accident also claimed the life of the pilot, Louis Cantilena, and his daughter. Two dogs were also aboard the aircraft, one of which survived.

According to the Associated Press, Indiana State Police Sgt. Wheeles said the Cessna had taken off from an airport outside Columbus, Indiana, while en route from Kansas City, Missouri, to Frederick, Maryland. Reports indicate the aircraft began losing altitude southwest of Oldenburg Indiana at 8:52 p.m. ET and disappeared from radar a short time later.

Both Schuda and Cantilena were majors in the Civil Air Patrol, the civilian auxiliary of the U.S. Air Force. Schuda served as the Capitol Wing's standardization/evaluation officer and assistant director of operations. He was also an instructor at CAP's Col. Roland Butler Powered Flight Academy at Blackstone, Virginia and previously worked as the Congressional Squadron's chief of staff from 2006-2012.

Schuda previously served as deputy director for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s Policy and Special Projects staff and as a professor of chemistry at the University of Maryland, College Park.

In a statement, Schuda’s family said, "He found his calling. He loved his work. He was a great husband and father." Paul Schuda is survived by his wife and two grown children. The NTSB is investigating the cause of the accident.